Helena
“So, if we put the maps together, it will join the worlds?” Jasper said. “Sort of like, the maps are the worlds and if their paths meet, people can travel between them? Something like that?”
“I thought it was supposed to destroy Etherium,” Jake said.
“Well, if Sinistrals could come into Etherium whenever, that would destroy Etherium as we know it,” Billie said. “Which is what Deveraux told me.”
“And Wyrd, too,” I said. “The faeries would no longer be isolated. It could get…complicated.”
“Chaos,” Gaston said. “As I said.”
“Who cares if we did cause chaos? Right now, Etherium is the magical world’s country club,” Jake said. “They’re the ones who decided to ban visitors who aren’t approved. Sure, it’s a great deal for them. They get to keep all the high demons out of their realm. But it’s not so great for werewolves, vampires, and rule-breaking wizards, is it? Hel, you don’t want to be banished to Sinistral, do you?”
“Well…not really…because it’s dangerous there.” I understood what he was saying. “Yeah, it’s just like you’re saying. Ethereal wizards have a gated community. If I was tossed out, I would be vulnerable, and Bevan would be in danger too. If the doors are open, the playing field levels out.”
“Well, I knew it was something like that,” Billie said. “I don’t really know who I believe, Gaston or Byron, as far as what Deveraux wanted. But I do know that even though I’m an Ethereal witch, the more powerful witches use the threat of banishment to keep the rest of us in line. My daddy was a Sinistral warlock, all because he dabbled in some dark magic when he was young, and they threatened my parents apart from each other. My mama still has feelings for him but she doesn’t dare so much as see him because she doesn’t want to get her and her familiar banished.”
“Billie, that sucks,” I said. “I can see why you want revenge on the council. They will retaliate, though.”
“I know. They always do.” Billie looked like she wasn’t planning on backing down.
Jasper’s arms were crossed on the table. Jake had just grabbed a beer and popped the cap off. “I don’t know where the hell this is all going,” he said. “But I can’t see stopping now.”
“So your friend Sam has the last piece, right?” I asked Byron. “He’s in California. But he isn’t dead yet, is he?”
“Not yet…,” Byron said.
“I know about Sam!” Billie said. “He’s a Hollywood lawyer! Deveraux said he met Audrey Hepburn at his house!”
Byron raised an eyebrow. “Deveraux was also prone to exaggeration… Sam only knew the magical folk in Hollywood.”
“Audrey Hepburn was just a normal human?”
“Yep.”
“Gosh.” Billie waved a hand like, screw that. “Sam must be very old.”
“They are all very old,” Byron said, with all the heaviness of a ghost who has haunted the same people too long.
“But he could still live a while,” I said. “Even humans make it to a hundred and ten now and again, but wizards are even more likely. Can we talk to him?”
“He doesn’t even remember me anymore. He’ll die when he needs to,” Byron said.
“You wouldn’t hurt him, Byron?” I hated to even ask.
“I already have hurt him.” Byron said, looking toward the fireplace. “Who do you think has been keeping him alive? At some point…life is crueler than death.”
I was getting a stomach ache. “I think…um…I want to give Graham an update. This is a pretty big development.”
“Well, if we’re done sleuthing, I’m gonna get back to my painting,” Billie said. “And you’re helping me out, huh?” She slapped Gaston’s shoulder.
“I said I would and my word is gold,” he said.
“No…one…paints like Gaston, no one prunes like Gaston, no one’s word is so shiny and gold like Gaston…”
“It’s just Ston.”
“Ston’s not a name; I ain’t calling you that!”
Jake was looking at me as I took out my phone and the back door shut behind them.
“I think I need to take a walk to get a signal…,” I murmured. “My cell phone service is dead here.”
“Ours is dying too,” Jasper said. “Too much magic.”
“Hel,” Jake said.
“What?”
He let out a very wolfish huff. “Go home,” he said. “This really isn’t your fight.”
“Not this again. It’s not up to you to protect me.”
“I can see it on your face,” he said. “You’re scared and you have a right to be.”
I glanced around for Byron. He was standing behind me, but he had vanished, although that didn’t mean he wasn’t still around.
“I’m not scared.”
“Please. Your boldness is what makes me want you, but not enough to get you killed. This isn’t what you signed up for.” When I didn’t answer right away, I feared that I damned myself. “Go talk to Graham, then. We still have work to do on the bathroom and then we can turn this into a gorgeous kitchen.”
“We should probably talk about that,” I said.
“She’s trying to save herself,” Jake said to his brother.
“I like a classic white kitchen,” Jasper said.
“This house is really upscale though,” I said, relieved to talk about anything else. “In a crumbling kind of way. I’m just not sure that matches the rest of the house. White can vibe ‘farmhouse’ more than lux.”
“I jdon’t want to go too modern either,” Jasper said. “The house is very old money looking. Timelessness is important.”
“I think you’re both right,” Jake said. “How about that? White cabinets, maybe, but not too cold. A warm white. But then what if we do more of a cream or tan for the floor and backsplash?”
“Hmm, okay, I can see that.”
“Personally, I’m glad Billie fixated on her she shed,” Jake said. “She’s staying out of our way.”
“We do make a good team,” I said. “And I’m not going anywhere!”
I wondered how they could even think of kitchens and also upending the entire magical world at the same time, but then…part of the reason I couldn’t imagine leaving was that I didn’t want to walk out on a half-finished project. Or the two of them,
I went out for the walk so I could get a signal. The sun was just thinking about setting. When I looked back at the house, the concentrated light of late afternoon was catching the pink glow of the house and turning it as vivid as a sunset.
I had a few texts from Graham that I’d missed that morning.
Good morning sunshine. I know you don’t have a tv/wifi there but it’s election day. Wish me luck. Only thing I’m not sure of is whether luck means win or lose at this point.
“Election day!? Shit.” I pulled up a Pennsylvania news channel website to see if I could find anything. The polls didn’t close for a few hours. But I did see a social media post from a reporter at a local newspaper.
There is something definitely odd going on in the Capello campaign. I’ve heard a rumor that Graham Capello’s campaign manager is trying to find him and may have even contacted the police about his whereabouts. After several missed appearances late in the campaign season, you have to wonder what’s going on. Will update as soon as I know more.
Graham was missing?
It seemed to me that if he was going to go missing, it should be to be here. With me.
His last text certainly didn’t sound like that was on his mind, though.
Graham, are you safe? I know you’re busy but just shoot me a quick hello when you see this, k? I have crazy stuff to tell you when you get a chance.
I waited a little while, but my phone stayed as quiet as usual.
I went back to work. Jasper and Jake were putting down the tile in the bathroom. The room that had been so eerily preserved was now a blank slate for a new color palette. The entire master suite was unrecognizable.
“Oh man, it’s looking great in here,” I said. “I’m going to work on the bedrooms, I think. I’m tired of paint stripping for the day.”
“So you’re going to strip wallpaper instead?” Jasper said.
“No, I’m just going to tear out all that weird matching fabric. I like the old bed frames, but they’re pretty beaten up. I think I’ll just paint them white. Or should I stain them?”
“Nah, I like the white,” Jake said.
They were so easy to work with. I wished this was all I had to worry about. I kept looking at my phone, despite the lack of signal.
At eight o’ clock, as the polls closed, having stripped all the fabric into a pile, removed all the bedding from the bed, and hauled the mattress off onto the floor, I ended up collapsing onto it instead of working. I don’t know why…but I was so tired, and I could have sworn I heard Graham calling my name.